Thursday, 14 January 2016

ISIS allegedly issues death threat letter to ATS Mumbai and Pune

ISIS threatens ACP who has been conducting de-radicalisation drives

The Maharashtra State Anti-Terrorism Squad
(ATS) and Mumbai Police have received letters from alleged ISIS
representatives threatening to kill their officers.

While the ATS got an anonymous letter,
the Mumbai police received an email. The letter states that ATS
officials in Mumbai and Pune are its [ISIS] next targets and threatened
to kill Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Bhanu Pratap Barge, Pune
ATS, and his family. Mumbai and Pune ATS offices received the threat letters from the
‘Islamic State Representative of India’ on January 6. And the same was
sent via email to Mumbai Police on Tuesday. This comes after the ATS
Pune unit has been de-radicalising youths fallen prey to ISIS.

Last month, the squad detained a 17-year-old girl radicalised by
ISIS, which lured the teenager under the pretext of sponsoring her
medical education and then sending her to treat war victims in Syria.
This happened right after ATS arrested Mohammad Sirajuddin, a manager at
Indian Oil Corporation in Jaipur. His arrest led to the unravelling of
several toxic chat rooms and groups on social media that were
radicalising youth and urging them to join the ISIS.
Also, ACP Barge has started visiting colleges to interact with
youngsters and warn them about such extreme thinkers. He has launched
two projects — ‘De-radicialisation’ and ‘Me Anti-Terrorism Squad.’

“Our next target will be ATS Mumbai and Pune. ACP Barge be ready. You
are disturbing Islamic State and misleading Muslim youths. We will not
spare you and your family. Take it seriously and face the action in near
future,” read the letter.

Shrikant Pathak, deputy commissioner of police, Pune police special
branch, is investigating the case and has provided security to ACP Barge
and his family.
Sources in the department said, “This is not the first letter sent to
ATS officer but such letters have started coming to him from December
7. Barge does not want any security for his family. His daughter, a
lawyer, recently got married and his son is an engineer. The case is
being probed by Mumbai police. We are assisting them in the case.”

After the news spread, many Muslim scholars came out in support of ACP Barge.